The letter to health minister Stephen Kinnock says there were 137,977 children waiting for an autism assessment in children's mental health services and up to 316,000 children waiting for an ADHD assessment as of March 2025.

The committee says: ‘Government must develop a long-term solution to the waiting list crisis that moves towards a needs-led model, providing early detection and care before a diagnosis, while recognising the value of, and maintaining access to, diagnosis for those who need it.'

The letter recommends DHSC and DfE together work with ICBs to better utilise the existing generalist workforce through planning and training.

It urges the Government to address the autism and ADHD workforce crisis in the NHS workforce plan and discusses the need for reforms to the SEND system.

The committee recommends DHSC and DfE work together to develop guidance for schools on reasonable adjustments and introduce mandatory training on neurodiversity for all school staff and put in place systems to connect health and education data to allow for analysis of outcomes for autistic children and children with ADHD.